Valencia CF coach Rubén Baraja held a press conference ahead of the game against Rayo Vallecano on LaLiga matchday 16.

THE DATE FOR THE MATCH AGAINST REAL MADRID

“The question of the game against Real Madrid does not depend on us. We have a postponed game and need to find a date to play it. This date has been set and I hope that an agreement can be reached so that the playing time can be determined.

We have to play it at some point. Real Madrid has a very busy schedule and the available dates are as they are. I hope that it will be established for the benefit of our planning and so that we can organize ourselves.

Tomorrow we have a game against Rayo Vallecano and you ask me about Real Madrid. The situation we find ourselves in is that there is a game and those who have to decide when it takes place will have to decide.

We have to adapt to what they tell us. Don’t talk about Real Madrid when we play Rayo tomorrow. The most important thing for us is tomorrow’s game against Rayo Vallecano.”

The condition of Caufriez and Pepelu

“Caufriez is doing a little well because his return is taking longer than expected and he hasn’t been able to train normally until today. He will not be on the squad list. And Pepelu is doing well, without any problems.”

JAMES RODRIGUEZ

“James is an exceptional player. His career speaks for itself and he is technically fantastic. He’s not there at the moment but he’s a player to keep an eye on, with great technical quality, a good finishing pass and a great shot. Of course, the Rayo Vallecano coach will have his reasons for who plays or not, just as I decide based on taste or performance. We have to be careful when he plays because he is an important player with a lot of quality.”

AN IMPORTANT GAME

“It is the most important game because it is the one we play tomorrow. We also play at Mestalla. We have a great need to score points, win victories and try that the work we do leads to the results we want. This is how we will approach this problem. I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to ensure the players are prepared for tomorrow’s game and try to do well.”

VERY INTENSE OPPOSITION

“We saw Rayo Vallecano and they are a very aggressive and intense team, possibly one of the teams with the best high-intensity numbers in LaLiga. They are powerful when they go back and forth and work collectively. It will be a very tough game in every respect, both physically and mentally. We face one of the most intense and pressing teams in LaLiga. They didn’t get the results, but they are a team with identity and that will mean we have to be at a high level to win tomorrow.”

RAFA MIR

“He’s fine. He is happy to be able to play, participate and be with his teammates again and hopes he can regain his fitness to contribute to the team.”

MESTALLA

“The players know that we are at an important moment of the season. We know that these four games before the end of the year are important for the future of the table. They seem focused and mentally prepared, knowing that tomorrow’s game is important and that we will play at Mestalla. I insist on it because Mestalla gives us a lot and pushes us to reach our best level of performance. The games in which we have performed our best this season, regardless of the results, have been at the Mestalla and we need to get points. The players see tomorrow’s game as important to get the win and continue to think about improvements.”

FINE KEY DETAILS

“I’m focused on tomorrow’s game against Rayo Vallecano and then the rest will come. We’re worried about our own game and trying to improve the things that make the difference in games, those details and moments. We’re working on that.” “We’re trying to improve so we can have a good game tomorrow to get the three points.”

EFFECTIVENESS IN THE AREAS

“I could cite several facts that are quite visible, even if the results do not support them. We are one of the teams that take the fewest shots, so we don’t defend as badly as the results suggest. Logically, it’s a shame if they shoot and score a few times. But it is the moment we find ourselves in now. Such situations punish you.

We are a team that gets into the penalty area a lot, but it was difficult to take advantage of our chances, apart from the Betis game where we were more successful than usual. If there are these two situations where you don’t succeed, To achieve consistency in one area or another, one sinks into the situation in which we find ourselves. But I think if we manage to maintain the intensity, the energy, the feeling that the team has without the ball, if we manage to prevent the opponent from getting too far forward, we will have more chances in the games have. And if we still have clarity and finesse in the last few meters, everything can change. I maintain that we are not far from finding the version that will give us the results and change the dynamic.”

ALTERNATIVES FOR FIDE DEFENSE

“We will look for the best option as we don’t have one of our two right-backs and Rubén Iranzo is also unavailable. We will look for the best solution for the game.”